


The Scent of Home

by Gray_Skies_Rising



Series: Living in the Dawn and Dusk [14]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Dark Batfamily (DCU), Dubious Ethics, Dubious Morality, Gen, Mild Blood, Murder, Self-Defense, hiding bodies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gray_Skies_Rising/pseuds/Gray_Skies_Rising
Summary: “I only have one question.”The woman reaches for the girl, as if to pull her away from Batman. The woman’s mouth shapes pleading words, but no sound comes out.The girl’s hands are still. The last dregs of adrenaline have left her, having left with the warmth of the cooling corpse. There was nothing left but bone deep tiredness as she slightly swayed on her feet.“Where do you keep the bleach?”
Relationships: Catherine Todd & Jason Todd & Willis Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Original Character(s)
Series: Living in the Dawn and Dusk [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1735045
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	The Scent of Home

**Author's Note:**

> Tw: blood, killing in self defense, knives, hiding bodies, domestic abuse, and dubious morality/ethics.
> 
> If I missed any triggers or you think i need to up the rating please tell me!

Jason doesn’t remember what exactly happened the first time he had helped to hide a body.

It was more flashes of foggy memories and crystal clear emotions.

He remembers playing with Sparky. He thinks he had a new toy, so maybe it was near Christmas or his birthday. Mom had always scraped something together for him then. Even when Dad would leave more bruises than usual.

There had been a knock at the door and mild curiosity.

Murmured words a child should never have to hear.

There was yelling then. Yelling and fear and the overwhelming stench of blood.

There was someone laying on the floor while Mom and Dad were yelling at each other.

Words like _money, debt, bastard, whore,_ and others that he hadn’t understood at the time.

He remembers Dad dragging the body farther into the apartment, towards the bathroom, he now knows.

Mom was on her hands and knees. Jason was there with her, hands stained red and stinking of bleach.

He hadn’t been able to take a bath for a while, nor did he ever really get everything out from his fingernails.

Three days later, they moved to the other side of the Alley.

—||—

He had been out and about as Robin for nearly three months the first time it happened.

 _It_ being a murder.

Now this wasn’t Jason’s first murder, not even close. This wasn’t even his first murder as Robin, that had happened the second night he had gone out.

The thing that made this one different from all of the rest was the young girl standing definitely over the victim. Her hands were empty of the knife that was currently being stored between two shoulder blades, but they were shaking with adrenaline.

“I don’t regret it.” The girl said with no hesitation.

There was a woman cowering behind the child. Her skin was a molten patchwork of black, purple, and a little green. They matched the ones wrapped around the girl’s wrists.

Batman crouched and put two fingers on the victim's neck. Robin doubted he was truly looking for a pulse.

He looked up, leveling his blank lenses with the girl.

“I only have one question.”

The woman reaches for the girl, as if to pull her away from Batman. The woman’s mouth shapes pleading words, but no sound comes out.

The girl’s hands are still. The last dregs of adrenaline have left her, having left with the warmth of the cooling corpse. There was nothing left but bone deep tiredness as she slightly swayed on her feet.

“Where do you keep the bleach?”

—||—

Kaleb was a good kid, even if he wasn’t afraid to get dirty.

The Red Hood didn’t see him out on the streets too often. He had once thought that was a good sign. Now though, seeing Kaleb gripping a bloody screwdriver in shaking hands and with blank eyes, he begins to reconsider.

He doesn’t try to take the screwdriver when he helps Kaleb get cleaned and does his best to work around it. There’s no need to takeaway one of the only things grounding the kid to reality.

Kaleb ended up huddled in the corner of the living room, a patchwork jean blanket Red Hood pulled off of his bed wrapped around his shoulders.

Cleaning up was easy enough, even if he couldn’t find a tarp for the bathtub. He would just have to make sure to keep the water running as he was working. A bucket of bleach, a knife, a couple of old rags, and a few trash bags, and he was set.

The floor of the apartment was a linoleum made to look like wood planks. Red Hood sends silent thanks that it wasn't actual wood or, heaven forbid, carpet. The blood would have been a nightmare to get out.

He leaves some cash and a few numbers for Kaleb before he picks up two trash bags and brings them over his shoulder.

It’s raining as he steps out onto the fire escape. Lightning that should be blinding but reminds him more of fireflies, flashes above his head.

Red Hood listens to the pitter patter of raindrops against his helmet and inhales the comforting scent of bleach as he makes his way towards the bay.

**Author's Note:**

> Questions, comments, requests? Please drop a comment!


End file.
